Is ai alignment creating a tool for censorship

AI alignment is the technical field of ensuring that machine learning models behave in accordance with human intent and safety guidelines, but these same mechanisms function as dual-use technologies that can be repurposed for systematic censorship and information control. As models become more central to how we consume information, the tools built to prevent harmful output are simultaneously creating a framework for ideological filtering and manipulation.

Recent research indicates that the techniques used to constrain AI—such as Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback (RLHF)—can be inverted to enforce specific, state-sanctioned narratives rather than objective safety standards (arXiv:2608.12346). Because these systems are designed to suppress specific classes of output, they provide a ready-made infrastructure for any actor, including authoritarian regimes or private corporations, to restrict access to information or manipulate public discourse on a massive scale.

How does AI alignment facilitate censorship?

AI alignment facilitates censorship by creating a precise, automated system for flagging and suppressing unwanted content at scale. Alignment processes inherently require a model to distinguish between allowed and prohibited speech; once this mechanism is established, the criteria for what is prohibited can be shifted from safety concerns to political or ideological preferences without changing the underlying architecture.